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Girls Aloud have split, leaving a huge girlband hole at the top of the UK pop market. Our vote for their replacement goes to Icona Pop, who are, quite frankly, the most exciting girlgroup on the planet.
Sure, there's only two of them, but Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo have more energy and spark than a room full of Cheryl Coles. Cooler tattoos as well.
Following international success with their single 'I Love It' (top ten across Europe and looking set to do likewise in America), the Swedish returned to London (a place they refer to as their home) following a slot at SXSW in the US.
A grungy rock club in North London may not seem the most suitable spot for a rising pop phenomenon, but Icona Pop work a sense of true rock and roll into their energetic performance, headbanging, moshing and swinging from the ceiling during the performance.
Watch Icona Pop's 'I Love It' below
Dabbling in dubstep for a reworked version of their underground pop classic 'Manners' as the show opened, the girls performed unaccompanied on stage, moving from microphone to mixing desks to cue up their own tracks and emphasising their DIY and self-controlled approach to their music.
Across their breakneck nine-song show, Icona Pop showcase their dazzling collection of electropop hits-in-waiting, from the rave-influenced 'Ready For The Weekend' to the dark hip-hop beats of 'Sun Goes Down' and the straight-up pop smash, 'We Got The World'. They even turned Lesley Gore's 1963 hit 'It's My Party' into a mellow, electropunk triumph.
Listen to Icona Pop's 'Sun Goes Down' below
The highlight of the night was, of course, 'I Love It' (although we could have done without the bellend yelling 'SING THE SONG FROM THE TV' next to us). Since appearing on hit US show Girls, Icona Pop have rocketed to success with the track - and deservedly so. One of the most energetic pop singles of the past year, an extended verson of the hit closed the night to a sea of pounding fists and glowsticks.
A brief but brilliant show of perfect, punk-edged pop, the only ones having more fun than the audience were Icona Pop. Now watch them clear a path to the top of the charts.
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